


Secrets and the Wind

by dogstarr



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 02:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4123329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogstarr/pseuds/dogstarr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neither Jack nor Daniel were ready to reveal their new relationship to anyone. But sometimes, you don't get a choice.  A story of love and strength and coming to terms with who you are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees. - Khalil Gibran

Chapter 1

Daniel was packed and ready, finishing a final round vacuuming in the living room. He just needed to change and grab his bags, and he was out of there. Jack’s sister was due to arrive in a couple hours for a visit. Kate’s impending stay had made both of them realize how badly they concealed Daniel’s presence at Jack’s house. Daniel still kept his own apartment, but more and more, his life, and the stuff that went along with it, had drifted over Jack’s. 

They hadn’t really discussed it, but had known without speaking that Daniel shouldn’t be there for Kate’s visit. Neither of them was ready to explain their relationship, which they barely understood, and its discovery could be outright career-ending for Jack. Not that Kate presented much of a risk in that department, but still, it just seemed easier. Jack had argued that Daniel didn’t need to move his stuff out, that they could just put his books, artifacts and clothes in boxes in the garage for the weekend. Kate wouldn’t go poking around out there. Daniel reasoned that it was a good opportunity to clean up their act a little in case anyone else ever came calling unexpectedly.

So Daniel packed and cleaned while Jack went for groceries. There was a dinner planned for the next day with SGC personnel and he was buying supplies for the weekend. Tonight Jack, Kate and Daniel were going to dinner. Daniel thought this was a bad idea, but Jack seemed excited at the chance for him and Kate to get to know one another. “You’ll like her Daniel” Jack had told him, “she gives me hell constantly.” They laughed and Daniel relented. Hey, they spent their entire workday and most of their off-time hiding their relationship, how hard could one dinner be?

Daniel clicked off the vacuum and as the motor died he heard the doorbell ring. He laughed to himself, “ha, mister military preparedness, forgot the house key did you?’ Daniel walked over and flung back the door, laughing, “forget your key Ja…” The words and the smile died on his lips. A woman stood on the doorstep, slight, but frightening familiar looking. She smiled a somewhat puzzled grin and answered, “well, I don’t actually live here.”

Daniel brain and body both seemed to have frozen solid. He stared for several seconds, until his heart began to beat again, and then managed to squeak out, “you must be Kate.”

“I am.”

Daniel stood in shock for a few seconds more before he recovered enough for movement. While Kate looked up at him with a half-grin, Daniel stepped aside and gestured to her. “I…I’m sorry, we weren’t expect…please, come in.”

Daniel took one of her bags as she passed by and turned to set it by the door. But he couldn’t find a place for it because his bags were already sitting there. This was going to be bad. Why hadn’t he left last night, or at least packed up the jeep! Daniel turned and set Kate’s bags on the other side of doorway. When he turned back, she was peering at him through brown eyes a shade lighter than Jack’s. But just as intense. Daniel felt the blush begin as he inwardly cringed at his attire. Thin ratty sweats, his too-short Air Force t-shirt and bare feet. Jesus Christ. The blush was spreading, but there was nothing to be done about that now. Daniel forcefully blocked out everything but the fact that this was an important guest. He went into diplomatic mode. He could do this.

“I’m Daniel. Daniel Jackson. Please” he said, “let me take your coat and then I’ll put on some fresh coffee. Jack’s at the store, but he should be back soon.”

“So I gathered” Kate said, smiling as she shrugged out of her coat. “I managed an earlier flight, which I thought might be smart because of the weather. There is a storm coming in and I thought the airport might get crazy later in the day. I should have called.”

“I’m sure Jack will be happy to see you sooner than he expected.” Daniel said, forcing the pleasantries while he tried to think up a cover story. He should so not be here at this hour of the morning, in Jack’s house, in these clothes. Maybe he was being paranoid though, there was no reason for Kate to suspect anything, so maybe she wouldn’t. That’s right Jackson, he told himself, just make like this is all normal. Just a friendly, platonic sleepover, no need to worry. But he was worried and he hoped it didn’t show. He wished he could get out of these clothes or at least put on socks. He hadn’t felt so exposed since he taught his first class at the University of Chicago decades ago. But I got through that, he thought. He just needed to hang on until Jack returned, then he could beat it. No way was he going to dinner tonight. Not after this.

“Coffee” he said, steering Kate towards the kitchen. “I’ll put a pot on. I’m sure Jack will want some when he gets back. It’s getting cold out there. How was your flight?” As he led Kate into the kitchen he noticed that both breakfast plates were still on the kitchen table. Great. He had told Jack he would take care of them while he shopped. How many bullets did he have to dodge this morning? He nonchalantly picked up the plates as he headed towards the coffee maker. 

Kate spoke from behind him. “Flight was fine, boring. Which I guess is the best kind there is. I don’t like to fly. It scares me, when I’m not bored out my mind. I could never see Jack’s attraction to flying.

Daniel chuckled as he spooned coffee into the grinder. “I know what you mean. It always makes me feel sick, even when the flight is smooth. Which isn’t a great thing when you’re surrounded by Air Force types.” He was already chattering more than he meant to, but Kate had an easy manner about her that he found engaging. He needed to watch himself. Time to change subjects.

“You’re a professor at Mt. Holyoak Jack said? Literature.”

‘Yep, English literature.

“What’s your area of expertise?”

“Poetry, actually. I know, it’s hard to believe Jack and I came out of the same womb.”

Daniel laughed again. “Yah, Jack…” Again, uncomfortable ground, but Kate filled in as he struggled for words.

“ I remember Jack telling me that you have a doctorate in linguistics, right?

“Yah. I study ancient languages.”

“And you work for the Air Force?”

She was sharp. “Yes” trying to smile. “It’s…complicated…” 

“Ahh.” Tipping her head back to examine him. After a pause she smiled the smile that Daniel was starting to recognize… “so you’re involved with the same thing that Jack passes off with that “deep space telemetry bullshit.” I’m always surprised he can say that with a straight face.”

Daniel paused for a moment, searching Kate’s face for a clue to for how to take this. Then they both laughed.

“Yah, I guess I am.”

“Then I won’t ask you about work. But I would love to hear more about ancient languages.”

This was infectious, but Daniel remembered himself. “Well, actually, I’ve got be going as soon as Jack gets back. I’m sure you two have some catching up to do.”

Kate opened her mouth to answer, but then, to Daniel’s great relief, they heard Jack’s keys at the front door. They both moved toward the living room in time to see Jack push the door open with the first bags of groceries. Jack’s first sight was all the luggage piled in the hallway and before he looked up, he said, loudly, “Daniel, I told you you didn’t have to pack up everything.  
She’s only going to be here…”

And then he did look up. And Kate finished his sentence for him “…for the weekend. Surprise, big bro, I’m early.”

Jack’s face went stony and he opened and closed his mouth several times without speaking. If Daniel had been less freaked himself, he would have enjoyed watching this pantomime of his own reaction of a few minutes ago. Jack stepped determinedly through the door and set down the grocery bags. He straightened, and looked at Kate, and then Daniel and then the luggage.

“And I want to tell you Jack,” Kate continued, an edge creeping into her voice, while Daniel continued to wish he was dead, “I’m a bit surprised as to what’s going on around here.”

Daniel saw the flush begin under Jack’s tanned face. “Look Kate…” he said in his best no nonsense tone. But Kate continued. “I mean, are you really making this man” here she pointed to Daniel, who had no idea how she would finish this sentence. “…move out of the house just because I’m here for a visit? What do you think I am, 12 years old?”

Dead. Silence. Daniel was sure it lasted 2-3 hours, but then he watched, amazed as Jack’s face softened. He narrowed his eyes and fired back. “I told him he didn’t have too, so don’t blame me. And yes, I do think you’re 12 years old. Make yourself useful and help me with the groceries?”

“I guess.” She shrugged, but she seemed to be laughing.

Daniel had been watching all this in stunned silence, but he jumped at this. “ No Jack,” he said “I’ll get the groceries, you two…”

“No Daniel. It’s ok. My sister can earn her keep.”

Kate was already putting on her coat. Jack looked at Daniel and smiled. Daniel recognized the don’t worry it’s going to be OK smile, but he just shook his head and stood there, dumbfounded.  
“We’ll be right back Daniel, go pour yourself a cup of coffee.”

Then the door clicked behind them and Daniel let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Then he ran to get changed.  
……….  
Jack handed paper bags to Kate at the back of the car. “You’ve been holding out on me Jack. Big time. Why? You never thought to mention this.” 

Kate’s tone was lighthearted, but Jack knew she was hurt, he just wasn’t sure why. “So how much to do you hate me?” Maybe he could get away with light-hearted banter.

“As much as usual.” She fired back. “But I still want to know why.” So he was not getting off the hook that easy.

“Why what?”

Kate straightened for a moment, unsure if Jack was just trying to avoid answering. But she knew her brother, and saw the tight corners of his mouth and the worry around his eyes. She answered his question. “Why didn’t you tell me that you have a boyfriend whose name is Daniel.”

“Christ, Kate.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

There was a long pause as the siblings sized each other up. Then Jack sighed and shrugged. 

“Yah, I guess it is.”

Kate rocked back on her heals, satisfied. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?

It took a moment for Jack to meet her eyes. “How much do you hate me?” He asked again, but this time, he was serious.

“As much as usual” Kate answered back without a pause. 

Then she pulled her brother tight for a long hug.

They pulled apart and stared at one another, Kate’s eye’s laughing, Jack’s still a bit uneasy. “I want to hear how this happened,” she asked.

“OK” Jack said. “But not now. We should go in because I’m sure Daniel’s had about six kittens by now.”

“He’s very beautiful you know?”

“Jesus, Kate don’t say that to him. He’ll die of embarrassment.”

“Yah, I noticed he was an easy target, how does he survive around you?

“He has hidden strengths.”

“Yah and he is beautiful.

“Jesus.”

“He is.”

“I know”  
…………  
Daniel was dressed and had one bag over his shoulder when Jack and Kate came through the door, laughing. He bent to pick up another one, saying… “OK, well I’m going to get going now.”  
He was meeting no one’s eye and Jack knew was right about the kittens. “Daniel, you’re not going anywhere.”

“Jack I think…”

“Daniel, put down the bag.” Resigned to whatever fate awaited him, Daniel let the bag slip from his shoulder to the floor.

“I don’t think you two have been formally introduced” Jack said, moving to stand beside Daniel and slipping an arm around his waist. “Daniel, this is my sister, Kate. Kate, this is Daniel. He lives here.”

Daniel studied the floor in front of him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t say anything and could only think about all the ways he was going to kill Jack. But he looked up as Kate moved toward. She was smiling and folded him into the patented O’Neill hug.

She held Daniel for a moment and then pulled back, still smiling. “It’s very nice to meet you Daniel” she said quietly. And then added, “I’m so sorry about my brother.”

“Hey!”

Kate turned to look at Jack over her shoulder, “Well, Jack really. We all know what you’re like.”

Daniel was laughing now too, with relief more than anything. It was just possible that this was going to be OK.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while to post...and many thanks to everyone who liked Chapter 1!

Chapter 2  
………………………  
Daniel still wasn’t sure what he should be doing. Apparently, it had been acknowledged that this was his home as well as Jack’s, but it sure didn’t feel like it. He had no idea what bedroom he’d be sleeping in that night, so he couldn’t hide out there, and he felt like a third wheel in the kitchen where Jack and Kate were sitting talking drinking and coffee. So he’d quietly unpacked his laptop and sat at the dining room table, pretending to work while he listened to the laughter in the other room. This might be a tough weekend. He wasn’t used to sharing this part of his life with anyone and some part of him felt left out. He knew it was silly and that no one was trying to make him feel this way, but he did. And so he didn’t know what to do with himself. He envied the easy laughter he heard from the kitchen, even as it made him smile. Family was such an unfamiliar concept to him and when he ran up against it he always felt out of his depth. He’d been burned too many times for assuming he was part of a family, then to find out to his surprise, that he was still an outsider. Better to assume the role up front, and deal with it. Daniel forced his attention back to the computer screen and continued his examination of the ancient symbols. The laughter slowly faded into the background.  
…………………..  
“Daniel!” He started and turned from the laptop. Jack was standing there looking at him. “I called you three times. Lunch is ready.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have helped.” He took the pencil from between his lips and pushed back the chair.

“It’s OK.” Jack smiled back at him. “But you must be hungry. Come on.”

“Yah, I guess I am. I’ll be right there.”

Daniel sidled into the kitchen a few minutes later. Lunchmeat and cheese were set out on the counter and Jack and Kate were already jostling each other as they made sandwiches. Three cans of diet coke were set on the table, one for each of them. Daniel wondered again that Jack could be so casual about so obviously knowing what he liked to drink. Those types of things were a total give away. Then he remembered, Kate already knew.

Jack shot him a look over his shoulder. “Come on Daniel, you better get in here before that turkey you like is gone. My sister has a hell of an appetite. Oowff!” The last noise was the result of Kate’s elbow administered to Jack’s side.

Daniel was a little shocked by Jack’s comment, but obviously the siblings had fallen back into familiar roles of alternating tormentor and victim. Daniel shook his head as Kate shot back, “look who’s talking.”

“Hey this is combat ready” Jack said, gesturing to himself, but still rubbing his side. “Out of the way sis.”

“God what a baby. Daniel, is he always like this?

Daniel appreciated Kate’s effort to draw him in. “Yah, pretty much.”

“Again, I apologize on behalf of all the ONeill’s. Do you have much family Daniel?”

“Kate…” Jack’s voice was a warning.

“What, Jack, I’m not asking about state secrets.”

“It’s OK Jack, I don’t mind. Actually, I don’t have family. I was an only child and my parents were both killed when I was young.”

“Wow. I’m sorry. Really, I didn’t mean to joke.” Kate ignored Jack’s I told you so look. “No other family?” 

“Not really.” Daniel’s smile was sad and Jack knew he was thinking about that bastard, Nick.

“Who raised you then?”

“Foster care. I was emancipated when I turned 16 and started school at the University of Chicago.”

“At 16? So you’re like a genius?’ There was a dramatic pause, then, “ Why is it you hang out with my brother?”

Daniel had been getting sucked into the seriousness of the conversation and wasn’t expecting this. He laughed out loud.

“Oh ha ha.” Jack said, indignant, “go ahead laugh it up.” But he was smiling too with the pleasure this was giving Daniel.

“Sometimes I wonder.” Daniel answered. He was starting to like Kate a lot.  
………………….  
“Movie time” Jack bellowed from the living room. Daniel and Kate had been washing the lunch dishes, chatting about graduate school and academic life.

“Do you ever miss it?” She had asked. “Culturally, it’s had to have been pretty a pretty big shock.”

“It was, at first. But it’s turned out to be a pretty good fit for me. I have more autonomy than I ever would have in an academic setting, my work is valued, and the military types are actually more tolerant than I ever would have imagined. As it turns out, more than academia turned out to be.

“Really?”

“Yah,” Daniel grimaced. Don’t drop my name in academic circles if you ever want to be respected again.”

“Really? That’s hard to believe considering how the military seems to value your work. If they could see that..why didn’t…? Kate regarded the look on Daniel’s face. “But this sounds like a painful story. So I won’t ask you for details…”

Daniel was impressed once again by Kate’s ability to read others. Must run in the family.

“How did you come to meet Jack, I mean, can you tell me?

I can tell you that I was recruited by the Air Force for a specific project, which is where we first met. I probably shouldn’t say much more than that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK. I’m used to Jack’s life being full of secrets.” Kate’s grin was mischievous, but she left it at that.

“I was probably a bit of a surprise, huh.” Daniel couldn’t meet Kate’s eyes. “We really didn’t mean for you to find out. At least not yet. Nobody knows.”

“Well I’m glad I do. I realize this can’t be public knowledge because the military is a backward institution, but it must be hard to keep something so important from your friends. You’re both making huge sacrifices.”

“Yah, Jack more than me really.”

‘I’m not so sure about that. Remember, I grew up in the same house with him.”

“Hey, are you two going to chit-chat all night, or are you going to get in here.” Jack yelled again from the living room.

‘Case in point” Kate said and they laughed as they walked in to join him.

……..  
“I’m glad we didn’t go out tonight” Kate said, motioning to the other end of the couch from where Jack sat, “I think Daniel was tired.”

Jack snorted, chuckling and looking over to where Daniel had fallen asleep propped on the arm of the couch, his arms folded over the pillow on his chest and his feet tucked under Jack’s thigh. “He fought it hard” Jack said, still laughing, “but once Daniel hits the wall, there is no holding off the sandman.” “He should have gone to bed,” Jack added, “but I think he was having a nice time.”

Kate saw the affection in her brother’s eyes as he stared at Daniel’s face, and shook her head softly. Amazed. That was the only word for it. She was amazed.

Jack sensed her eyes on him and turned back towards his sister. “…that, and he had no idea where he should sleep tonight. If you can’t tell, he’s still a little freaked.”

Kate nudged her brother with stocking feet that were propped next to his alongside empty pizza boxes and beer bottles. “What about you? She asked, just slightly seriously, “are you sorry I showed up early?”

Jack thought about this a minute. “No. No I’m really not. We have to be careful anytime we’re together, at work, in public. You never know who is around. Daniel is actually more cautious about it than I am. It’s hard. So it’s nice to have someone else know. Someone I trust and know will be ok with it.” Jack stared into his coffee cup, not quite able to meet Kate’s eyes.

She nudged him again, more gently this time, “Yah, I am OK with it.” Jack looked up at her again, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious. I mean have you always…” Kate trailed off, not quite able to ask the question.

Jack laughed and finished for her… “wanted to shack up with a guy. No, I can’t say that I have. Daniel is the first. How did it happen? I don’t know, all at once and really slowly. When we finally realized what…we had, and I looked back on it, it seem like I loved him from the first time we met. Corny, huh?”

Kate ignored the dismissive comment. “Was it different from falling in love with Sarah?”

Jack laughed again. “Yah, it really was. With Sarah, everything fell along expected lines, until the unexpected happened, and we were never prepared for anything like that. And it was my fault, and neither of us could get over that, especially me. I met Daniel when I least expected it. It was on a mission. I know I never told anyone, but I wasn’t planning on coming back.”

“I know when that was. We were so worried about you. Mom and Dad called me constantly and I had nothing good to tell them. When I talked to you, it was like talking to a dead man. I was really expecting the worst, what with the military hard-ass stuff and all the guns around. Then we didn’t hear from you for ages and I was frantic. The next time I talked to you, I could hear in your voice that something had changed. What happened?”

“I met Daniel on that mission. He was so young, God, so completely oblivious to the military way of doing things. And I tried so hard to make him hate me. But he never did. He just sat there and took it until I completely lost it on him one day. I sat there, bawling like a baby, and he took that too, and I knew then that I still had something to live for. But was a long time before I realized that something was him.”

They both sat in thought for a moment, staring. “I’m sorry for being such a sap. You know I hate this stuff, but..

“yah, but with Daniel, you don’t care. I see that Jack, I see how much you love him, how much you don’t take him for granted. He seems like he needs that.”

“Like you don’t even know. His parents were killed in front of him when he was six years old.”

“Jesus, how?”

“A freak accident. They were Egyptologists, like Daniel. Overseeing the installation of an exhibit at the Smithsonian they were crushed when a slab of rock broke loose from the crane.”

“Are you kidding me? 

“Nope, and his grandfather, his only relative, didn’t quite have time to fit a traumatized little kid into his life. I hate that son-of-a-bitch. He turned up briefly not to long ago, it didn’t change my opinion of him. What a prick. So Daniel went into foster care until he started college at 16.”

“Wow. That is quite a story.”

“Its funny you know, Daniel does a lot of …first…diplomatic work for us, and I’ve never seen anyone get people other talking to each other so quickly. But it takes him a really long time to get comfortable around other people. I think he’s finally convinced he might have a place in the world. He’s been pretty knocked around by life.”

“He seems very shy for what he’s achieved. He’s really modest for an academic.”

“We’ll he didn’t really fit into academia very well.”

“He mentioned that. Well the brains would be enough to make most academics jealous, but combined with the looks…wow.”

Jack snorted his laughter. “You know he’d never believe you if you told if you told him that. He has no idea. People look at him constantly, women and men. And at the mountain, people would do anything for him, from the janitor to the commanding general. He treats everyone the same, with respect, and they’d leap in front of a train for him if he asked.

“And that includes a certain Colonel I know?.”

"Yah. Guilty. I went with him to some archeology convention a couple of years ago. It was before… well anyway I convinced the brass to let me go with him. God, it was great. Daniel was so mad I was along to “babysit.” There was a fancy reception. I wore my dress blues and ghosted him all night. Those arrogant pricks wanted so badly to give him shit, and I would stand behind his shoulder and just stare them down. Some people find me intimidating ya know.”

Kate laughed at this, “Really, you don’t say. I don’t see it.”

"Yah, no kidding. Anyway, I’m not sure anyone liked him anymore at the end of the night, but they sure as hell treated him a little better. Jerks. I think in the end that Daniel was glad I was along. He gave me hell up to the reception, but he never complained that evening or the rest of the weekend. God it was great! He really can handle himself, but I was happy to do it."

I can see that you two are very good for each other. When I saw you unloading soy milk from the store I knew you were a changed man."

"Ha ha. But really, I want to warn you, he’s going to be nervous this weekend. Not only are you the only person to know about us, but Daniel doesn’t do family well. He’ll relax, but it will take some time. Just be patient."

"No worries bro. I’ll be gentle. Does he walk around with his shirt off much?"

Jack chuckled at that one. “Nope, sorry. Daniel’s very shy. Too bad for you.”

“Ah, my loss.” Kate laughed and setting down her coffee cup, yawned, saying, “I’m getting tired, do you mind if I head off to bed?”

"Nah, I think I bundle sleepyhead here off as well. I’ll tell you what, you go first and take the guest room, it’s all made up. That way, I won’t have to argue with Daniel about where he sleeps tonight."

“Think he’d still give it a try?”

“Oh yah, but he’s hopeless when he’s tired, so I’d win anyway, but this will make it easier."

“In that case, I will see you in the morning.”

“'Night sis, and thanks…for everything.”

“Really Jack, …... Good night.”

Jack got Daniel into bed with surprising ease, a testament to how stressed out and tired he was. He slipped under the covers and as usual, Daniel moved towards him, head on Jack’s shoulder, one long leg slipped over Jack’s. Jack kissed his forehead, “Good night Daniel” he whispered. Which was a mistake, because Daniel suddenly shot up, shaking his head and grabbing to throw off the covers. “Jack, Kate…”

“Don’t worry. She went to bed hours ago, she’s in the guest room. Go back to sleep.” It was a white lie, but it seemed to work. Daniel muttered a bit more, and then subsided. Jack felt his breathing even out, which was the last thing he remembered before he fell asleep too.  
…………  
Something wasn’t right. Jack woke slowly, rolling over and reaching for Daniel. He realized the bed was empty at the same time it hit him. He smelled coffee. Which meant that Daniel was up already, before Jack, which was pretty unheard of. Jack smiled to himself. Kate’s visit really had Daniel rattled if he was out of bed this early. This weekend was going to be interesting. His conversation with Kate the previous night had set his mind at his ease about his sister. She would be fine if she could keep her curiosity in check and not scare Daniel too much. Daniel was going to be walking on pins and needles. If Jack could get him to relax, they might all have a good time, but it was going to be a challenge. It might be time for a chat. Jack threw on sweats and a tee shirt and went down to the kitchen.

Daniel was fully dressed and sitting at the kitchen table at his laptop, a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. From the doorway, Jack watched as Daniel peered at the screen, rolling the coffee cup between his fingers. As he often did in recent months, Jack marveled at how lucky he was. Daniel was the whole package and Jack could not imagine life without this beautiful, gentle decent man to share it with. Was it different from Sara? Yah. It was different, but as good, and, in the long run, Jack hoped better. Daniel made him complete and utterly happy. He was not going to screw this up.

“You’re up early.”

Daniel jumped only a little and then set down his coffee cup, turning to Jack with a small smile. 

“Yah, I think I cashed out a little early last night. Sorry about that.”

“No problem. The day went a little differently than we had planned. That can be…stressful.”

“I fell asleep on the couch didn’t I?”

“Yep.”

“Damn, that must have made a good impression.”

Jack walked to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. He took Daniel’s hands in his own. “Look Daniel, I want to tell you something and I want you to really listen.”

“Uhh, OK.”

Jack heard the waiver in Daniel’s voice and gave his hands a quick squeeze.

“You do not, I repeat, do not, need to worry about making a good impression this weekend. Kate is family, and you don’t have to be on good behavior with family. You just have to be yourself. I’m telling you this because I know you don’t have much experience with the whole family thing. But I want you to remember what I’m telling you, OK?”

Daniel flicked his eyes up briefly to meet Jack’s. “I’ll try. But I… it just seems too weird, someone else, I don’t know, you should be enjoying your time with your sister. Maybe I should…”

“Daniel, you’re not going anywhere. I want you here, I want you to share this visit, and besides, Kate really likes you.”

“Really? Did she say that?” Daniel couldn’t quite meet Jack’s eyes when he asked so Jack couldn’t resist teasing.

Yah. She also thinks your hot.”

“Daniel's eyes flicked up at that, and his expression clouded “Funny Jack...”

“I’m serious, just ask her. Or I could ask her for you.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“I won’t, if you stop worrying and try to enjoy yourself this weekend.”

“Ok, I’ll try.”

“And I don’t mind reminding you if you have trouble. I had a really good talk with Kate last night. She is very fine with … us.”

“Really?”

“Yah. She was surprised…”

Daniel grimaced “I’m sure she was.”

“Ah, let me finish, surprised, but not disappointed, not angry, if anything, I think she was… happy, amused, but happy…”

“Amused?”

“I think this somehow goes against my hardass military mystique, which she never really bought anyway. She knows I’m happy Daniel, and she knows that’s because of you.”

Daniel looked at Jack, his eyes smiling. Jack pushed a stray hair out off Daniel’s forehead and leaned in for a kiss. “And now, I think I’ll make some pancakes.”

Kate obviously did not follow the Jack O’Neill early bird gets the worm notion of starting the day. It was near 10:00 when she finally came down the stairs in sweats and a t-shirt with a book in her hand. Two books, actually, Daniel saw from his usual spot at his laptop at the dining room table. Jack had been right about Kate. So far, Daniel liked her. She had Jack’s playful manner and his wit and so far she hadn’t given off any overt signs of disapproval. Not that he was that experienced at reading other people, or in much of a position to judge since he had fallen asleep the night before. Daniel tried not to think about that, and he felt his nerves rising at the thought of being alone with her again. He hated the hyper awareness, and the feeling that he was talking too much and he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Well, there was no avoiding it, she was getting to the bottom of the stairway, so Daniel silently mustered his courage and moved into host mode.

“Kate, good morning” he said, pushing back from his laptop. “I hope you slept well.” His voice sounded too loud.

“Like a dream” she said, not seeming to notice and looking drowsy, but smiling. “That’s a great bed” she pointed back over her shoulder with one of the books in her hand.

“It is, isn’t it?” Daniel smiled. “I used to sleep in that bed a lot …” Daniel trailed off and dropped his smile and his gaze at the same time. Damn. Once again, he had made things awkward before conversation even got started. This weekend was doomed, as much he wanted thing to go well, as important as this was to Jack, he just couldn’t do it right. Family was impossible for him. Daniel knew that the silence was stretching on, but he just stood there, unable to say anything.  
Kate saved him, as only an O’Neill could. “Do I smell coffee,” she said quietly. “Because I could sure use a cup. I slept too long. Will you join me?”  
Daniel looked up and met Kate’s eyes. He saw kindness there and felt himself relax just a little.  
“Sh..sure” he stammered. “And if you're hungry, Jack made pancakes.”  
“I love pancakes,” Kate said, smiling now.  
“You’ve come to the right place.” Daniel smiled back at her.  
….  
Over coffee and pancakes that had been kept warming in the oven, Kate asked what the dinner planned for that evening would be like. Jack was out doing a few final errands for the event, including picking up the carrot cake that Daniel had special ordered from his favorite bakery.  
“I’m not too used to hanging around military types, my illustrious brother aside.” 

Daniel chuckled at this. “Don’t worry, they’re not to bad. I’ve managed pretty well, and everyone you’ll meet tonight are good friends and pretty used to dealing with academics. We have whole departments of them at the Mountain. The archeology department alone keeps Jack in fits. They’re terrified of him and everytime we get someone new I have to talk them through their first de-briefing with Jack. Of course he loves that.” Daniel chuckled at the memory.

“Archeology? I thought you were a linguist.”

“Oh, well I’m the head of the archeology department. I have doctorates in linguistics and archeology… and, well, anthropology too.”

“Three Ph.Ds?” Kate sat back in her chair holding her coffee, clearly stunned. “I’ve never met anyone with three Ph.D.s. Wow.”

Daniel gave her a half-smile, but couldn’t meet her eyes. “Well, I had an early start.”

“What, as an embryo…?” Kate said, snorting and rolling her eyes.

Daniel’s smile disappeared and he cast an anxious glance at her, not quite sure how to respond.

She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes with concern. “Daniel” she said, “That was the O’Neill sarcasm we’re so famous for. It’s why our big mouths get us into trouble. I’m sorry for teasing you.”

“Oh, I’m not…I just… God, I’m sorry Kate, I suck at this. I really should have gone yesterday.”

“Why?” Kate asked, genuinely puzzled.

I never had any family, well, besides the one you’re going to meet tonight. “I don’t seem to be able to do anything right around you. But I want this weekend to go well and for you to have fun and not be disappointed.”

“Daniel, let me tell you something. You and I don’t know each other very well yet, but if I have anything to say about it, that’s going to change. I’ve never seen my brother happier or more relaxed than I’ve seen in the less than 24 hours I’ve been here. Yes, he was happy with Sarah, but the relaxation, the laughter I’ve heard from in the last 24 hours, is unprecedented. For a long time after the accident, he tried to stay out of touch with us, our mom and dad, our brothers, even me. We wouldn’t let him get away with it though, and eventually he started coming around again, but he still kept his distance. I think you may have given us our brother back.”

“Kate, that’s…” Daniel didn’t really know what to say but he was more than touched.

“No really Daniel, I mean it. We owe you a debt that we can’t repay. You’d better get used to us, especially me, because you are a part of my brother’s life now, so that makes you part of the family. My condolences, but that’s the way it is, OK?” Kate’s eyes were bright, but she was smiling.

“OK,” Daniel laughed, “but you have to forgive me if it takes some getting used to, I’m new at this.”

“No problem. So… now, tell me who will be at dinner tonight. Jack wouldn’t tell me a thing.”

“Really? Well yah, I guess that sounds about right. The rest of our team will be there, Major Samantha Carter and…ah, Murray, who is a… civilian consultant.”

“Like you.”

“Not exactly, but we have overlapping expertise.”

“Interesting. Major Carter?”

“She’s an astro-physicist. Janet …will be here too, she’s the chief medical officer at the base. She has a teenage daughter who is coming. Her name is Cassie. The base commander will be here as well, General Hammond, and I think his daughter and her two little girls are coming last I heard. They love their Uncle Jack.

“General Hammond. Wow. A pretty distinguished “little dinner party”, as Jack called it. I better be on good behavior. Nah, they know I’m Jack’s sister, I won’t fool anyone.”

Daniel laughed. “These people all know Jack very well, believe me. And I think you'll enjoy getting to know them too."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always greatly appreciated!


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